Love Me Like XO, Kill Me Like XO {LeeGaa}

Week Eight

Wow- uh- thanks for 2000+ reads! And sorry for not updating regularly, haha...
This fanfiction is nearly two years old, and I'd love to be able to finish it by the time I start university. My final exams are coming up, so unfortunately I can't promise regular updates quite yet-
My writing style has matured over these two years, so I would like to go back and edit all the previous chapters. Maybe rewrite some parts that seem too out of character for Lee and Gaara-

Thank you for sticking by for two years. 💕

As the month of November crept in, Gaara spent the next few days on the down-low.

They had stayed at Kankuro's a couple days longer, to gather some sort of practical arrangement before university howled for their return. The four stayed up to watch the evening news every night at eight o'clock - needless to say, the media was unwilling to release Gaara from the headlines.

"It's like you're some sort of celebrity. You're surrounded by gossip." Kiba had mused one night.

"It's not gossip." Kankuro replied grimly. "It's politics."

It was always the same story: Gaara no Sabaku, son and heir to the mayor of Suna, was spotted at the first round of the taijutsu championships, swarmed by 'bold' and 'strange-looking' young adults who supposedly were his friends. Every time it was told the plot was manipulated a tiny bit more. Gaara ended up going from 'being hugged by his friends' to 'engaging in a queer, ritualistic embrace that was part of either a current trend or a satanic practice'. Gaara thought the 'satanic practice' was rather amusing. Lee did not.

The ending was exactly the same, too, even across different media companies and brands. 'The mayor has yet to comment on his son's behaviour. His sister, even with contact attempts, also has yet to comment.'

Temari was going to kill him.

She had texted him a day previously, a message that was both reassuring and nerve-wracking: 'Father is watching me. Don't text me back. I'm okay. Stay out of trouble.' He wanted to call her to make sure she was okay, but begrudgingly accepted her instructions. It was his fault they were in this mess, after all - he just hoped she wasn't getting into trouble.

Lee was quick to offer a safe haven at his apartment, and the drive back went swifter than expected.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

Gaara tilted his head at Lee as they pulled up by his house. "What's up?"

"So... because you're basically in the public eye now..." He pressed his lips together, large eyebrows furrowed. "Do we have to act, I don't know, more secretive?"

When Gaara gave him a confused expression, Lee swivelled round in the car seat to face him.

"I mean do I have to keep the PDA to a minimum? Stop kissing you after lessons and such-"

The redhead blinked. "But I like it when you kiss me."

Lee went pink at that. "You'll only get into more trouble if your Dad finds you - I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Well then," Gaara started, leaning over to rest his forehead against Lee's, "we'll just have to protect each other."

"I'll always protect you - even when you don't want me anymore!" Lee grinned at him and exited the car, circling round so he could hold the door open for his boyfriend. Rolling his eyes, Gaara hopped out.

"I'll never stop wanting you."

"Then you can keep having me, yeah?" He smiled brightly, laced their fingers together, and led him inside the apartment. The hall was painted white and very clean-looking; albeit with an interesting collection of decor. Pictures of him and his friends, dinosaur stickers, house plants in bright pots.